Meter for graphically representing relative status in a parent-child relationship and method for use thereof

ABSTRACT

A graphically depicted meter to show the status of a parent-child relationship.

BACKGROUND

In many fields, parent-child relationships exist. It is desirable to be able to graphically represent the status of a child with respect to a parent in the parent-child relationship.

In the prior art, meters or gauges were used to depict the status of a single entity, such as the amount of fuel in a fuel tank. In addition, minor work was done depicting percentages, such as a bar graph which can show current progress versus a target number. However, the prior art failed to address the need for the ability to graphically represent the status of a parent-child relationship.

SUMMARY

A meter has been invented that graphically represents status in a parent-child relationship through a that allows a viewer to quickly ascertain whether the child is within expected norms or limits of the parent, close to those norms or limits, or has exceeded those norms or limits. A ring-type meter representation if utilized in an example implementation. The invented meter may be used to depict status in any type of parent-child relationship. For example, the percentage usage of a food budget can be depicted with the meter. Or the number of miles travelled to date on a trip can be depicted. Or the number of university credits accumulated toward graduation requirements can be depicted. Status in any type of parent-child relationship can be depicted with the invented meter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an explanatory diagram of parent-child relationships in a budgeting computer software package.

FIG. 2 depicts an explanatory diagram of parent-child relationships per FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 depicts an explanatory diagram of parent-child relationships per FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 4 depicts an explanatory diagram of parent-child relationships per FIGS. 1-3, with line items shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

For the purposes of this document, an example concerning budgeting is utilized. This example is used for illustration purposes and the scope of the invention is not limited to budgeting.

In the field of personal financial management (“PFM”), it is desirable to provide budgeting systems which allow users to budget for and track their income and expenses. The reasons why budgeting is desirable are omitted from this document. In order to provide explanatory examples that are useful to help the reader understand the invention, personal budgeting software examples are provided. The invention may be used in a wide variety of fields where parent-child relationships exist, so these examples should be considered exemplary rather than limiting in nature.

Referring to FIG. 1, an explanatory diagram 100 is provided that shows an example screen 101 of a mobile device running a computer software budgeting program. In this example, initially only parent categories will be displayed. In this example, the categories are depicted as bubbles. If the graphical representation for a particular parent budget is large enough when shown on a computer display device, then the logo name, and amount of that parent budget category can be shown, as well as the percent of that budget used to date. For example, the Food+Dining budget 102 is displayed with a logo of a sandwich, a $1200 expense amount displayed, $900 amount displayed, and a percentage usage of 125% displayed. This allows a user to immediately acquire salient budget information from the screen of a computer, such as a mobile or hand held device. As the budget amount shrinks, the software may (or may not) also shrink the corresponding graphical representation. In that event, the software can show as much relevant data as possible, but some items may need to be omitted.

From the parent budget, the user can see the status of child budgets through a child meter. For example, a child meter 103 is provided that depicts a budget for electricity expenses. This example shows the budget as a circular bubble representation although other shapes could be used as well. A light bulb logo is shown to indicate the concept of electricity usage. The electricity budget is shown to have a $400 budget with $100 of that budget used to date due to electricity bills. Continuing with this example, the parent budget of electricity 103 has its children's status indicated at the parent level through a budget meter 104. The budget meter exemplified in this instance is a circular ring within the parent budget widget. The budget meter can display:

-   -   (a) Portion of spending of a child budget within the parent         budget that has exceeded its budgeted amount 104 a (also can be         indicated by a color such as red),     -   (b) Portion of spending of a child budget within the parent         budget that is close to exceeding its budgeted amount 104 b         (also can be indicated by a color such as yellow), and     -   (c) Portion of a child budget within the parent budget that is         within its budgeted amount 104 c (also can be indicated by a         color such as green).

In the example of FIG. 1, if the parent budget category is over budget, such as with budget 102, then the children are not displayed. If desired, the software could be written to display them.

Referring to FIG. 2, an explanatory diagram 200 is provided that shows an example screen 201 of a mobile device running a computer software budgeting program, per FIG. 1. In this example, to see child budgets within the parent budget, the user simply drills down into the parent. In this example, that may be achieved by clicking on the parent budget 102 in order to access child budgets 102 a, 102 b, 102 c, etc. For 102 a, a Restaurants budget meter 202 is depicted showing about that proportion of the Restaurants child budget that has been utilized, such as ¼ or 25 percent. For 102 b Groceries, a child budget meter 203 is provided that graphically depicts the proportion of the child budget as been used, such as about $425 out of $500 or 85 percent. When the parent budget is drilled into, the child budgets may be displayed connected to it if desired. In this particular example, the “Other” child budget 102 c represents spending that was not budgeted for.

Referring to FIG. 3, an explanatory diagram 300 is provided that shows an example screen 301 of a mobile device running a computer software budgeting program, per FIGS. 1 and 2. In this example, the user has elected to view details of a child budget 102 a—Restaurants. $75 of the $300 restaurant budget has been used, for a 25% usage rate. Within the child budget, there are 12 transactions 303 which can be drilled into if desired. From this page, the user can delete 304 the budget or edit 305 its details.

Referring to FIG. 4, an explanatory diagram 400 is provided that shows an example screen 401 of a mobile device running a computer software budgeting program, per FIGS. 1-3. In this example, the user has chosen to edit 305 the details of the budget 102 a. Editing the budget causes the parent budget and the children to be listed with the ability to in-line edit each value. For example, in 401 we see the ability to edit individual transactions 403 a, 403 b and 403 c by use of a keypad 404.

For the purposes of this document, a meter for use in indicating the status of a child within a parent-child relationship has been discussed. The meter may be used to meter, quantify, measure, depict, estimate, gauge, approximate, judge, calculate, figure, compare, or otherwise evaluate the status of the parent-child relationship. In the example of FIG. 1, the electricity budget 103 has a parent-child relationship meter 104 that graphically indicates 25% of the electricity budget has been used by shading 25% or 90 degrees of the 360 degree budget meter. Other graphic methods may be used to indicate the parent-child relationship status as well.

The meter has been discussed so far are a device, such as a graphical representation of the relative status of a parent-child relationship. But the meter can also be discussed as a method. When considering the meter as a method, it could be considered a method for graphically displaying the status of a child in a parent-child relationship by displaying a meter that shows the entire potential of a parent-child relationship, as well as graphically depicting the progress of the child in reaching that full potential. That progress or status may be considered a percentage or a proportion if desired.

The invention can be implemented as software that runs on a digital computer. The state of technology and trends as of the time of writing this document indicates that digital computers running software will be a preferred implementation for many years to come. For the purposes of this document, the term “digital computer” includes desktop computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, hand-held mobile electronic devices (including so-called smart phones), other mobile electronic devices, networked computers, mainframe computers, and other computing devices. Other computing devices may include analog computing devices, quantum computing devices, biological computing devices and other computing devices. Although the invention can be implemented as software operating on a computing device, the invention can also be implemented as firmware or it may be implemented in hardware or otherwise as desired. Such implementations are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Commonly a computing device for using the invention will include a display device such as a screen or other image on which information can be displayed to a user, an input device through which a user can control the computing device, and a processor for carrying out computations as required by the invention. The computing device may also include a means for carrying wireless transmission and receipt of data, dynamic memory, static memory, a power source such as a battery, and other features.

While the present invention has been described and illustrated in conjunction with a specific embodiment, those skilled in the art will appreciate that variations and modifications may be made without departing from the principles of the invention as herein illustrated, described, and claimed. The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiment is to be considered in all respects as only illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope. 

1. A method for graphically displaying the status of a child in a parent-child relationship comprising the steps of: accessing a computer and a display device, using said computer to graphically depict a parent and a child in a parent-child relationship on said display device, using said computer to graphically depict on said display device, on said child, a meter which illustrates both (a) the full potential of a parent-child relationship, and (b) progress of said child toward or beyond said full potential of said parent-child relationship,  and causing said parent, said child and said meter to be visible to a human user.
 2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein each of said parent and said child are depicted as a bubble.
 3. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said parent and said child are depicted connected to each other.
 4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said meter depicts a percentage completion that said child has reached toward said parent full potential.
 5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said meter depicts a proportion of completion that said child has reached toward said parent full potential.
 6. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said parent is a budget, and wherein said child is a sub-budget.
 7. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said meter is a circular ring.
 8. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said meter depicts: (a) portion of a child within the full potential of the parent-child relationship but that is close to exceeding that full potential; and (b) portion of a child that is within the full potential of the parent-child relationship; and (c) portion of a child that exceeds the full potential of the parent-child relationship.
 9. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein said meter depicts funds spent.
 10. A meter for graphically representing status of a child in a parent-child relationship, comprising: a graphically represented parent, the parent's totality being considered the full potential of the parent-child relationship, within said graphically represented parent, a metered depiction of a child of said parent, said metered depiction including visible demarcation between totality of the potential of the parent-child relationship and progress that said child has made within the parent-child relationship.
 11. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein said meter depicts: (a) portion of a child within the full potential of the parent-child relationship but that is close to exceeding that full potential; and (b) portion of a child that is within the full potential of the parent-child relationship; and (c) portion of a child that exceeds the full potential of the parent-child relationship.
 12. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein said meter depicts portion of a child within the full potential of the parent-child relationship but that is close to exceeding that full potential.
 13. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein said meter depicts portion of a child that is within the full potential of the parent-child relationship.
 14. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein said meter depicts portion of a child that exceeds the full potential of the parent-child relationship.
 15. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein parent and child are graphically depicted as being adjacent each other.
 16. A meter as recited in claim 10 where parent and child are graphically depicted as touching each other.
 17. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein said meter is circular.
 18. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein said meter depicts a percentage.
 19. A meter as depicted in claim 19 wherein said meter includes shading depicting said percentage.
 20. A meter as recited in claim 10 wherein said parent and said child are depicted as bubbles. 